Touchpoints
by Loopy777
Summary: Zuko, Mai, and Sokka have found a way to make it work. It's just difficult, sometimes. Families are delicate, and occasionally armed revolutionaries try to kill them. OT3


_A/N: Part of a 'challenge' from menamebephil. It's my first time doing an OT3, so if you like it, credit him, and if you don't, blame me._

 **Touchpoints**

 **1\. Amado**

Sokka breathed a sigh of relief as, beneath him, Eelie jumped free of the waves and began bounding across the Capital Island shore. The sun was only just starting to set; he had made it in time.

He wondered if he was setting some kind of record for the number of times he had crossed an entire ocean on the back of an eelhound. And was there some kind of prize for that?

He didn't need to do more than just hold the reins while Eelie made her way to Caldera City. She knew her way around here by now, avoiding the harbor and using her size to climb up the dormant volcano's sides. She also knew enough that, when she reached the rim, she followed it around to the city gate instead of just plunging down the inner slope and cutting across whatever compound the found at the bottom. One time with that kind of trouble was enough for both Eelie and Sokka both.

He didn't need more trouble, now. Not after the argument he had with Aang, the last time they saw each other. Aang's words of, "Do you really think you can make it work?" echoed unpleasantly in Sokka's mind.

Once they were past the gate, Eelie practically flew through the city streets. The denizens in turn showed their own familiarity with the big eelhound, shouting familiar insults and curses as she bounded around and over any people, carriages, and objects in her path. Sokka, for his part, shouted familiar apologies and promises that _this_ was the last time he'd be in such an inconvenient hurry, honest.

Then they were at the palace.

Sokka made his goodbyes to Eelie as he got down from the saddle and passed the reins to the stablemaster. His boots had barely touched the ground before he was plunging right past the guards and into the palace. He made his way straight for the stairway that would lead up to the residential area, so intent on keeping up his speed that that he barely registered when a spear was tipped to block his path.

Sokka skidded to a halt and looked to the offending soldier. Zuko had long since done away with the all-concealing facemasks of the Crimson Guard, but Sokka didn't recognize this guy. "What's the deal? It's me! Sokka! See, I'm the one who wears blue."

The guard frowned. "I know who you are, but only the Royal Family is allowed up there without an escort. I will-"

The guy stopped talking when the other guard from the opposite side of the staircase came over and smacked him on the back of the helmet. "Just shut it."

Sokka knew _this_ guard. "How's your wife, Reo?"

"Doing much better, Amado. Thank you. You can go right on up. I'll take care of the kid, here. He's new. Sorry for the trouble."

"It's fine, it's fine," Sokka lied. "Tell your family hello for me!"

As he trotted up the stairs, he dimly heard the new guard saying, "Isn't 'Amado' an old Sun Warrior word?"

Sokka didn't stick around for the explanation. He already knew what it meant.

He found Mai and the kids exactly where he expected. They had already decorated the private dining room with lanterns and some of the ceremonial furs he had left here, and he had no sooner walked through the door than Kosshi was running over to him and shouting, "Amado! Amado! Lookit, I need to show you!"

Sokka finally slowed as the five-year-old took a basic fighting stance, wobbling a bit as he found his center, and then ducked down briefly to come up with a rising punch. It was a sloppy strike and wouldn't have reached even up to the surface of the dinner table waiting laden for them, but that clearly wasn't the point.

A burst of flame popped up just beyond Kosshi's fist.

Sokka was struck frozen, but only for a moment. He glanced over at Mai to find that of course her face was blank, and focused on her eyes and found that they were somehow both warm and sad. She remained where she was by the dinner table as Izumi trotted over and wrapped her little brother in a hug.

"I told you it'd happen one day," Izumi said, planting a kiss on the crown of Kosshi's head. "Everyone born into the Royal Family is a Firebender. My lessons _said._ "

"That's right!" Sokka crouched down and put his own arms around the kids. They seemed so small and fragile, but so warm and lively. He wished he could stay around to hold them more often, but sometimes a man's duties took him away from his tribe, and this world had a lot of duties to go around. "And that was a pretty good start on your uppercuts. Tomorrow I'll show you how to really put some power behind one of those. I bet it'll make your Firebending even stronger."

Kosshi grin grew wider at the praise, and Sokka's heart flipped at how much happiness he could give the kid with just a few words. It was actually kind of terrifying.

Izumi drew Kosshi's attention with her own Firebending tips, and Sokka stood up to find Mai approaching. She walked past and around him, reaching out to brush the back of his neck with her cold hands, sending shivers down Sokka's spine that had nothing to do with her body temperature, and spoke in that _almost_ -quiet tone of voice that kids often ignored for not being clandestine enough to merit attention: "Aang swung by last night on his way back to Republic City. He looked in on Kosshi while he was sleeping, and then had to get going if he was going to make it in time for his own Kitungak." She pressed her lips together, draining the color from them. "I'm sorry. To you both."

Sokka wanted to say that he wasn't sorry, that making sure Kosshi could grow up without the specter of an inquisition hanging over his head was well worth it.

But a part of him was a _little_ sorry. Whatever Kosshi might have become, he was a Firebender now. Whatever he might have chosen for himself, his path was unalterable now.

And that path took him a little further away from Sokka.

On the other hand, Aang apparently had done this willingly. He was giving what had requested.

Support like that was no small thing.

A heavy arm, one full of strength and heat, fell around Sokka's shoulders. It was a strength and heat that gave Sokka life, and he looked to the side to see Zuko's smiling, scarred face saying, "They told me you arrived. The sun will set in five minutes."

"Well, then, we better get his thing going." He threw his own arm around Zuko for a tight squeeze they both held, a squeeze that had carried them both through hard storms- both the metaphorical kind a few of the real ones.

Then Zuko eased away, turning to look down at the kids. "Come on, you two. You need to both be sitting at the dinner table before we can start!" He shepherded Izumi and Kosshi across the room while they asked him if he won any wars today.

Sokka lingered by the door.

Mai nearly collapsed into his side, seeking his strength for a brief moment. After Zuko's touch, Sokka had more than enough to share. Her mask fell away and Sokka was reminded of how thin she really was beneath her robes and hidden weapons. How long had she buried her own mourning for what they had to do to Kosshi, waiting for Sokka to arrive?

He held her, sharing as much of his spirit as he could.

Then it was time for the Kitungak Feast.

"Okay," Sokka said only after he and Mai had physically separate again. He clapped to draw everyone's attention. "With the resting of the sun, the Festival of Kitungak can officially begin!"

Kosshi bounced in his chair, eyeing the foods spread across the table. "We can eat now?"

Sokka shook his finger in warning. "You can only eat the foods that are served to you! The Festival of Kitungak is a celebration of kids. Parents show their love for the children of the tribe. We start with dinner, and then there's a storytime, and finally we get to the _presents!_ " At that word, both Izumi and Kosshi temporarily forgot all the treats on the dinner table. "But I seem to have forgotten to bring any presents! Oh, no!"

Mai snorted. "Amado is so forgetful."

"Yeah," Izumi called. "Father says you'd forget your own boomerang around if you didn't tie it to yourself every morning!"

"I do say that." Zuko smirked at Sokka. "And I stand by it."

Sokka walked over to Zuko, gave him his meanest mock-glare, and bumped his forehead against the other's. "Well, it's a good thing I have the world's most eager Fire Lord to help me out, right?"

"Right!" Zuko raised a hand like he was making an official speech. "Fine toys from across the Fire Nation have been brought to the palace for the benefit of the two most well-behaved children in the entire history of the Royal Family. But like Amado said, those come later."

"I _did_ say that." Sokka turned back to the kids and the dinner table. "Right now is the dinner. For the Kitungak Feast, children are served food by their father and drinks by their mother. Looks like we have a lot of good spiced meat here, and- ooh, is that _sweet milk?_ "

"Amado has a sharp eye." Mai came over, lined up two cups, and poured some of the sweet milk into each. She took a cup in each hand and placed them in front of the children. "Prosperity and luck to you."

The kids each took a heavy swig of the sweet milk. Izumi planted her cup down with a pleased squeal and said, "Okay, Father, give me food now!"

"Food!" Kosshi slapped his own cup down in imitation of his sister. He looked briefly at Zuko, and then turned to gaze up at Sokka. "Amado, can _you_ give me my food instead of Father?"

Sokka's heart skipped a beat.

Then Zuko said, "I think that's a wonderful idea. I'll serve Izumi, and Amado can serve Kosshi."

It was with tears in his eyes that Sokka laid a dish of spiced goose-duck in front of the little Firebender. "Strength and honor to you, Kosshi." He had dreamed, when he was younger, of the day he would be able to say those words to a son.

Kosshi was a Firebender now, but Sokka had learned that dreams could come to life in all kinds of unexpected shapes.

* * *

 **2\. Armor**

Mai pressed a hand to her side and grimaced from both the sharp pain that resulted and the sticky wet feel of her robes. Still, it wasn't _that_ sticky, so she decided that she wasn't in any danger of bleeding out.

Unless the wound tore wider.

Unless a horde of stupid rebels stabbed her a few more times.

Unless help didn't come.

But of course she didn't say any of this to the men. For one, she simply didn't want to, and second, they were having so much fun planning their defense together.

"And we can use the secret passages to move between ambush-points."

"Too bad we don't have anything to make explosives with."

"...I dunno, how much bird-poop do you figure is on the roof?"

" _Not enough to be explosive._ "

"Well, if we- no, you're right, we don't have the time. It's a shame, though. Now that I've thought of it, I really want to make bomb out of bird-poop."

"Uncle used to say that the best ideas need to be planted and nurtured for the time of proper harvest."

"Yeah, I know, I know. Of course, we're not exactly talking about growing tea leaves, here."

"Maybe if she drank more calming tea, Aza wouldn't be trying to kill us."

"Yeah, she's not exactly as subtle as her mother, is she? On the other hand, if she's here trying to have her insurgency kill _us_ , that means she can't be off causing trouble for Izumi and Kosshi."

"Hm. That's true. So are we ready?"

"I'm ready. You ready?"

"I am. Mai?"

She opened her eyes to find Zuko and Sokka looking to her. She instinctively straightened, not wanting to let these men down in any way. She wanted to be worthy of all that they had given her, but her wound protested that particular stance, and she found herself curling and hissing.

In an instant, they were both beside her and holding her up.

Not that she needed it.

Still, it was a nice gesture.

Sokka leaned down to examine her side. "Ooh, this is bad."

"No it isn't," she said.

"Yes, actually, it is. It's not deep, but these muscles are used for everything but a very particular kind of slouch. If we were just going to be hanging around like a bunch of loiterers, I'd say you're fine, but when we barricaded ourselves in this old temple we were kind of hoping to do this whole hit-and-fade defense thing until help arrived. Remember that plan?"

Zuko gave her his most serious stare. "You need to hide. Sokka and I will keep the enemy occupied."

Mai met Zuko's gaze as she reached down and ran her fingers through Sokka's hair. "Hey, Sokka, how long does it take a dragon to fly across the Badlands?"

"Er-"

"And how long would our troops then need to cross back across the Badlands to get to us?"

"Well-"

Zuko raised a hand to stroke a finger across Mai's chin and whispered, "Druk will bring help. He's small, but he's strong and clever."

"I know, Zuko." It took all her strength not to shiver at the gentle touch. Shivering would irritate her wound again. "But you still need me to fight. Both you and Sokka need me." She looked down to the more practical of the two men.

Sokka straightened from his crouch, eyes focused on nothing. Then they snapped over to something over Mai's shoulder, and his face lit up in that smile that always made her heart beat a little faster. "So if you won't stay out of the fight, we'll just have to get you in fighting condition!" He pointed behind her.

Mai let Zuko support her as they both turned to look.

A suit of ancient armor stood on display in a dusty alcove, a forgotten decoration of a bygone era that nevertheless was made of hard, protective metal.

Mai examined it. "That much armor will slow me down. And I need access to my knives. Zuko's the only one of us with unlimited weaponry."

But Zuko said, "We can make it work. You're less maneuverable now anyway, so we'll only use pieces that don't make it worse. That should leave us enough to support your wounded area and give you a little extra protection."

"And we'll rig something up for your blades," Sokka added. "I've given a lot of thought to hidden weapons over the years."

Mai sighed. She was out of reasonable objections, and she'd never quite figured out a strategy for denying these two when they were both trying to do something _for her._

She started to shrug, winced at the pain, and then used her hands to motion her surrender.

Zuko and Sokka immediately got to work.

She had been all set to do this herself, but before she could even think about how to start undressing without causing further pain, they were taking off her outer robes. She surrendered to their care, shutting her eyes and focusing on their touches. She had intended her attention to be for judging the placement of knives and armor, but a not unpleasant side-effect was a hyperawareness of the hands of her men.

They worked confidently and efficiently, removing clothing and weapon harnesses to unveil her. She could tell the differences between their touches, was experienced enough to know when it was Sokka or Zuko brushing their fingers against her skin, just like she could tell her children apart just from the sound of their footsteps. Unexpectedly, the sensations relaxed her, draining a tension she hadn't known had been accumulating in her body since Aza's razor disc had sliced into her side.

Then Zuko and Sokka began building her up. They brought together clothing and armor and hidden pouches to wrap and strengthen her, using an unconscious knowledge of her flesh and weaknesses to prepare her for battle. They could never know how much they truly meant to her, she felt, because she knew how poor she was at communicating that type of thing. She took, but couldn't imagine that she gave anything in return. Certainly, it hadn't been her to find a path forward with Kosshi.

They worked, oblivious to her pain and pleasure. She answered them when they asked questions, both of them speaking in that distracted manner that always preceded their more spectacular scientific collaborations. Heh. Men. They had no idea what their touch did to her.

She felt like a teenager again, in the best and worst ways.

All too soon, they finished. The armor was in place, a construction that freed her muscles from their burdens. Mai opened her eyes and tried walking around, pleased to find no pain. She stretched out her arms and then moved them in various mock-throwing motions, and found that while her reach was more limited, she still hadn't found any pain.

Finally, she fully extended both arms, grabbed Zuko and Sokka by their shirts, and yanked them both close enough to plant a kiss on each of their lips, one after another.

Still no pain. They did good work.

Letting go her men, Mai nodded. "I'm ready to fight." She ran her hands down her body, cataloguing all the blades and razors and knives that had been strapped to her. Without looking up, she added, "And if I don't make it, you two have my permission to handle Kosshi however you both want. Don't feel you need to hold back on my account."

Sokka gasped at that, always the more expressive of the two. When Mai looked up, she found him blanching at her. Zuko, for his part, just had that stony glower he liked so much.

Before either could say anything, the echoes of shouted orders and snapped battle-cries came up through the halls. The enemy had arrived. It was time to survive, to mark time until reinforcements arrived.

Time to rely on each other.

But then, it was _always_ that time.

Mai drew a pair of razor discs and led her men into the darkness.

She vowed to herself to lead them back out, so they could all see their children again. And maybe do more of this touching again when death wasn't knocking on the door.

* * *

 **3\. Alone**

For Zuko, the worst part of being a Master Firebender was the sensitivity to temperature.

That wasn't to say he was especially uncomfortable in extreme climates. The wastes around the North Pole weren't fun for anyone even with the proper protection, and Zuko had survived swimming the freezing waters and then marching through a blizzard. Nor was heat any great problem, considering the number of times he had fought his way through volcano fortresses.

No, the problem in the sensitivity was in his perception.

Zuko could feel the man in his arms growing colder.

He could feel Sokka dying.

Sokka's body wasn't actually cooling. (Not yet.) His inner fire, though, was down to just a few glowing embers. All people had an inner fire- not only Firebenders, and certainly not only the people of the Fire Nation. Everyone had it, whether they called it Qi or lifeglow or spirit whatever. When that last bit of inner fire was gone, Sokka would stop breathing. His body would stop generating heat. And then his corpse would cool.

Zuko knew this.

Sokka knew this.

They had witnessed it together with Mai, years ago.

Zuko tightened his hold and laid his head atop Sokka's.

They were lying in bed, Zuko stretched out with Sokka snoozing on top of him, back in the Fire Palace. They both liked to travel these days, now that Zuko was no longer Fire Lord and Sokka no longer an active chief. Republic City was where they spent most of their time between journeys, but when Zuko first saw Sokka's inner fire begin to flicker, they had gone back to the Fire Nation.

Home.

As soon as they arrived, Zuko had sent out word. That was two days ago. He had hoped the message would be received in time, but it was still just the two of them here.

And Zuko could tell the exact rate at which Sokka's inner fire was cooling.

It wouldn't be long now.

Sokka sighed in his sleep. He felt so light, these days, compared to the man he had been in his youth. Mass and vigor had been taken by the years. But then, Zuko had probably diminished in the same way. That was the nature of time. Of aging. It had happened to Mai, and now to Sokka.

Zuko decided that there was no point in waking him. There hadn't been a formal exchange of goodbyes, but there was no need for it. The look that had passed between them when Zuko suggested going home was enough. They didn't need words for most things, these days.

No, not long.

Just another-

The door on the opposite side of the room flew open, and Izumi practically ran in. She was still wearing her traveling clothes, the lopsided crown in her hair the only sign that she held the burden of being Fire Lord. As she fell to her knees beside the bed, Zuko could even see that her glasses were all smudged as if hurriedly put on and then completely forgotten.

She ran a hand over Sokka's head, brushing the last of his hair into place. Then she reached up further to caress Zuko's chin, and he could only wonder when her hands had become warmer than his own. They had always been warmer than Mai's.

Izumi looked up at Zuko.

He nodded to his daughter.

Just in time.

Sokka stirred, prompting Zuko to ease his embrace a little. Sokka raised his head and opened his eyes just a crack. A smile blossomed on his face when he saw the new face above his. "Izumi." His voice was a whisper in the wind.

"I'm here, Amado." She moved to brush his hair again. "I'm here."

" _Me, too!_ "

Zuko looked up sharply at the pronouncement, almost unable to believe it when Kosshi ran into the room in a flurry of Fire Sage robes. Kosshi was soon kneeling beside his older sister, taking Sokka's hands within his own.

"I made it, Amado." Kosshi sniffled. "I made it."

"Hey," Sokka said. "Now it's a party. When- when do we- eat-" His head drooped.

Izumi gasped, but Zuko could feel that the inner fire was not yet gone. He moved a hand to rest on top of Kosshi's, and then slipped the other under Sokka's. Kosshi's hands had always been the coldest in the family, perhaps the coldest to ever belong to a Fire Sage. But then, Mai's had always been cold, too. And Sokka's had never been hot.

Zuko had expected that having the children here would make Mai's absence feel even sharper, but instead, it was almost like she was just being her usual silent but present self.

He nodded to Kosshi, who took a deep breath and began the proper words:

"Go on to The Lands of your ancestors, the dominion of the Tribe forevermore. We, your Tribe, rejoice at the gift you will be to the ancestors. We rejoice at the g-" His voice faded. Kosshi squeezed his eyes shut and continued, "gift you were to us. We will keep you in song and memory until the Tribe is whole on The Lands once more. Go, our chief and our warrior. Go, _Father._ "

Sokka's breathing stopped even as his smile grew wider.

Zuko rested his head atop Sokka's once more, and felt the inner fire fade to empty coldness. The warmth began leaking from Sokka's thin limbs.

He was gone.

Mai had left years ago.

Zuko was alone.

Alone with their children.

It wasn't until after the funeral that Zuko brought the deviation in Kosshi's prayer up. He waited until he could have a private moment with both of his offspring; he hadn't missed the lack of surprise in his daughter's eyes when at how Kosshi finished the goodbye.

"You knew," were the only words Zuko felt were needed.

Kosshi nodded. "I did. I'm sorry, Father."

Sorry? Zuko shook his head. "Don't. I'm glad you knew. But how?"

Kosshi looked to Izumi, giving her- eldest and Fire Lord- the chance to speak first. She shrugged. "I knew because Kosshi knew. He could never keep a secret, even when he didn't say anything."

Zuko looked back to his son.

In the end, the only explanation provided was the only one that would ever make sense:

"I guess I always knew."

That night, Zuko lit candles for Mai and Sokka.

He would just have the keep the flame of their love alive by himself, for a little while longer. But their children would live on, a testament to the world of what the three of them had shared.

Had made.

Together.

Zuko couldn't say how they had made it work, but he felt no surprise that it had.

 **END**


End file.
